Nine Federal Supreme Court Judges Resign Amid Internal Dispute

The Court’s media office

The members of the Federal Supreme Court.

On the afternoon of 19 June 2025, nine judges from Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court tendered their resignations. According to information obtained by PUKMEDIA from a source within the court, the resignations included six permanent members and three reserve members. The move was reportedly made in protest against the conduct of the court’s president, Judge Jassim Mohammed Al-Amiri, particularly over his handling of court sessions and his monopolisation of decision-making.

The judges were due to convene today to consider the issuance of a federal order for the payment of salaries to employees of the Kurdistan Region, pending a ruling on a related lawsuit currently before the court.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Bryar Rashid, a Member of Parliament representing the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc, told PUKMEDIA that the resignations were not linked to the salary dispute. He clarified, “The resignation of the court members stems from internal disagreements with the court president, rather than the issue of employee salaries.”

Dr Rashid added that if the resignations are formally accepted, the Federal Court would be unable to convene or issue rulings due to the lack of a quorum. This paralysis would continue until new members are appointed.

The Federal Supreme Court recently received a legal case concerning the continued disbursement of salaries to civil servants in the Kurdistan Region. In a statement seen by PUKMEDIA, the court noted: “A case has been brought by employees of the Kurdistan Region demanding the continued, timely payment of salaries in accordance with the court’s Decision No. 224 and its consolidated ruling No. 269/Federal/2023, dated 21 February 2024.”

The statement explained that the claimants are requesting the court to issue a federal order compelling the Ministry of Finance to implement the aforementioned decision. This would require both the Prime Minister of Iraq and the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure salaries for all regional government employees—across ministries, governorates, non-ministerial bodies, pensioners, and social protection beneficiaries—are deposited into federal bank accounts operating outside the Region. The funds would be deducted from the Kurdistan Region’s designated budget share.

The lawsuit has been formally registered as Case No. 104/Federal/2025. Court fees have been paid, and a ruling on the provisional order is expected imminently.

Meanwhile, Federal Finance Minister Taif Sami has issued an official letter to the Kurdistan Regional Government via its representation in Baghdad, stating that the ministry is now “unable” to continue funding the Region. The letter, dated 28 May 2025 (No. 14502), explains that the Region has already exceeded its 12.67% budget entitlement, having received 13.547 trillion dinars in total expenditure.

According to the letter, the Kurdistan Region’s oil and non-oil revenues from 2023 through April 2025 amounted to 19.9 trillion dinars, of which only 598.5 billion dinars had been transferred to the federal government.

This development has drawn sharp criticism from Kurdish political blocs and parties in the Iraqi parliament. In response, a group of Kurdistan Region employees filed a lawsuit with the Federal Supreme Court on 1 June, demanding that salaries be paid regularly and without political, administrative, or technical interference. They also called on the court to issue an interim order compelling the Ministry of Finance to continue payments pending the outcome of the case.



PUKMEDIA